Bishop of Lichfield asks about probation service and suicide in prisons

The Bishop of Lichfield received the following written answers on 13th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield asked His Majesty’s Government what the average caseload of probation officers in England and Wales was in each year of the last decade.

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Bishop of Lichfield asks about impact of early release scheme on the Probation Service

The Bishop of Lichfield received the following written answer on 11th March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield asked His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the early release scheme on the Probation Service; and what additional support and funding they are providing to the Probation Service in connection with that scheme.

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Bishop of Lichfield asks about support for faith groups working with prison leavers

The Bishop of Lichfield received the following written answer on 3rd March 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to work with faith groups to support people being released from prison.

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Bishop of Lichfield asks about reducing homelessness among prison-leavers

On 21st January 2025, the Bishop of Lichfield asked a question on reducing rates of homelessness among prison-leavers:

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: My Lords, according to data from the Ministry of Justice, the proportion of all prison leavers who were released homeless in 2023-24 was 13%. Considering that people are 50% more likely to re-offend if they are homeless, what steps are the Government taking to reduce rates of homelessness among prison leavers?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about women in prison

The Bishop of Gloucester asked a question on the health needs of women in prison on 14th January 2025:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, women in prison have very specific health needs. Will the new women’s justice board look at ensuring that health and social care services across the women’s estate are consistently gender-specific and sensitive to women’s protected characteristics?

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about status of prisoners in the UK and overseas

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answers on 16th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to publish the number of UK citizens in prison abroad as a matter of routine

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about issue of radon gas levels at Dartmoor Prison

The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 9th December 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked his Majesty’s Government:

  • what estimate they have made of the cost of tackling radon gas levels at HMP Dartmoor.
  • when HMP Dartmoor will return to its full operational capacity following the detection of radon gas.
  • what assessment they have made of the number of prisoners affected by (1) elevated radon gas readings at HMP Dartmoor, and (2) the subsequent closure of that prison in July.
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Imprisonment for Public Protection (Re-sentencing) Bill: Bishop of Gloucester supports legislation

On 15th November 2024, the Bishop of Gloucester spoke in support of the Imprisonment for Public Protection (Re-sentencing) Bill, a private members bill seeking to allow for resentencing of people currently serving IPP sentences, those recalled to prison, and those under IPP sentences on conditional release:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: My Lords, I add my voice in favour of the Bill, and say amen to all that I have heard. I declare an interest as the Anglican bishop for prisons in England and Wales. I an not going to repeat all that has been said regarding the shocking statistics that have already been outlined.

Like other noble Lords, I am glad that such sentences can no longer be given and that there have been some changes in the rules around the termination of licences, but those rules are complicated and not easy to navigate. That is particularly significant when it comes to offering hope and support not only to those serving their sentences but to families and friends as well.

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Bishop of Gloucester asks about impact of early release programme

The Bishop of Gloucester tabled a question on the impact of the prisoner early release programme on probation services on 14th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the prisoner early release scheme on probation services.

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Bishop of St Albans asks about violence at Bedford Prison

The Bishop of St Albans received the following written answer on 11th November 2024:

The Lord Bishop of St Albans asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to tackle high levels of violence at HMP Bedford, following the Report on an independent review of progress at HMP Bedford, published on 22 October.

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